A Forum for Orthodox Jewish thought on Halacha, Hashkafa, and the social issues of our time.

Friday, July 27, 2012

Homosexuality and Going OTD

There is yet another article (published in The Times of Israel) that is sympathetic to Orthodox Jews
who are homosexual. Asher Zeiger laments the fact that these Jews are so often shunned
by the mainstream Orthodox institutions that many of them end up going OTD.

Mr. Zeiger wonders why it is that Orthodox Jews have such a
hard time accepting gay Jews into their community while other sinners are easily accepted. Here is how he puts it:

Yes, the Torah forbids homosexuality. But there is far
more biblical text devoted to Sabbath observance, business dealings, unleavened
bread on Passover, and a litany of sexual improprieties, than the couple of
verses that discuss homosexuality.Nobody’s relationship with God should be defined by the mitzvot that
they do not keep.

Those who do not keep many other mitzvot are
(hopefully) accepted as equal members of the Jewish community — with a handful
of exceptions made for those whose violations have seriously harmed other
people. So why can we not see and accept homosexuals in the same way that we
see and accept Jews who do not observe the Shabbat and festivals, or do not eat
strictly kosher food?

He suggests a possible explanation:

Maybe the problem lies in the inability of most
heterosexuals to understand homosexuality in the same way that we can relate to
the attraction of, say, driving to the beach on Shabbat, or eating whatever and
wherever we wish. And don’t get me started on the appeal of just giving in to
our basest natural sexual urges.

But we don’t “get” homosexuality in the same way, and all
too often, the natural reaction to what people cannot understand is to attack,
belittle and invalidate. It is as though by delegitimizing it, people are
absolved from having to understand, let alone accept it.

I’m not sure this really explains it. Although there are people who are not repulsed by homosexual behavior there are probably many more people who are. These are not bad people.
They just have a natural revulsion to such behavior. No matter how open-minded one is about
this subject they just cannot get past it.

Why is this sin different from
other sins – including other sins in the Torah labeled a Toevah (abomination)? From the article:

To eat any of the animals, fish and birds listed as unkosher
(Deuteronomy 14) is considered a to’eva, as are dishonest business
practices (Deuteronomy 25:13-16).

These sins are also called Toevah and yet they do not seem to really
repulse most people – even though they probably should.

It is therefore easy to see why there is so much depression among
homosexuals. Sometimes even leading to suicide. Despite the current social and
political pressure to normalize homosexuality there still seems to be an
undercurrent of popular resistance to it. Mr Zeiger observes (correctly in my
view) that we still live in “a largely
gay-unfriendly world” and that “homosexuality is the target of the kind of
hatred and vitriol otherwise reserved for only the sleaziest of pedophiles and
the fans of arch-rival sports teams”.

It is no small wonder than why many formerly Orthodox Gay
Jews go OTD.

That is indeed sad.

I can’t do anything about innate negative feelings. But I think it
behooves those of us who may have them to overcome them and treat fellow
human beings who have same sex attractions no less honorably than we do people
guilty of other Toevos. As Mr. Zeiger puts it. We all
sin. But not all of us sin the same way. By being so repulsed we end up turning these people away leaving them with a feeling of abandonment and being hated by their
fellow Jews. Jews who are otherwise decent people.

When decent society rejects you... how are you supposed to feel?!

Shouldn’t we be bringing them close to us instead of pushing them away? Like we would with any Jew?
Shouldn’t we be encouraging them to observe as many Mitzvos as they can? Of
what value is it to turn away from them with the obvious revulsion so often expressed
by an anti gay zealot like this Levin character (pictured above)? What does he accomplish other
than causing people to go OTD?

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About Me

My outlook on Judaism is based mostly on the teachings of my primary Rebbe, Rabbi Aaron Soloveichik from whom I received my rabbinic ordination. It is also based on a search for spiritual truth. Among the various sources that put me on the right path, two great philosophic works stand out: “Halakhic Man” and “Lonely Man of Faith” authored by the pre-eminent Jewish philosopher and theologian, Rabbi, Dr. Joseph B. Soloveitchik. Of great significance is Rabbi, Dr. Norman Lamm's conceptualization and models of Torah U’Mada and Dr. Eliezer Berkovits who introduced me to the world of philosophic thought. Among my early influences were two pioneers of American Elementary Torah Chinuch, Rabbis Shmuel Kaufman and Yaakov Levi. The Yeshivos I attended were Yeshivas Telshe for early high school and more significantly, the Hebrew Theological College where for a period of ten years, my Rebbeim included such great Rabbinic figures as Rabbis Mordechai Rogov, Shmaryahu Meltzer, Yaakov Perlow, Herzl Kaplan, and Selig Starr. I also attended Roosevelt University where I received my Bachelors Degree - majoring in Psychology.